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Daily Herald - September 7, 2000

Naperville lawyer makes top 10 list

A Naperville attorney is the only lawyer in Illinois to make an esteemed top 10 list.

The National Law Journal named Kathleen Zellner as one of the best trial lawyers in the nation.

The publication sifted through thousands of jury verdicts in compiling its list. Editors point out Zellner always out-prepares her opposition and often persuades jurors to her viewpoint.

Indeed. Zellner Kathleen won five civil jury Zellner verdicts totaling $15.8 million for her clients hetween March of 1999 and 2000.

Among them, jurors awarded $2.2 million to a woman who was raped while working in the Chicago Bar Association building.

Zellner sued the management group, even subpoenaing the convicted rapist from prison to testify on her client's behalf in the civil case.

Much of her 17-year career took place in a criminal courtroom. Among her cases, Zellner got a client off death row after proving someone else committed the murder.

The law journal's list includes such noted attorneys as New York's David Boies, who served as lead counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice in the federal antitrust action against Microsoft Corp.

"I'm excited to be among those attorneys," Zellner said. "It makes me very optimistic for the future that they recognize me at this level because I really just started out with civil cases."

She already has eight trials lined up in the coming 14 months.

$15.5 Million
For Kevin Fox, who was falsely arrested, prosecuted and convicted in the murder of his 4 year old daughter

$13.05 Million
For a suicide after the hospital refused to admit. Highest verdict in the nation for medical malpractice suicide

$4.25 Million
Settlement against city of Chicago for two police officers who failed to respond in a timely manner

$3 Million
Settlment for 25-week premature baby boy who lost eyesight due to treatment delay

$3 Million
For brachial plexus injury that occurred at birth resulting in partial paralysis of right hand and arm

$2.43 Million
Settlement for cardiac arrest suffered by a 3-week old in the ER after wrongfully adminsitered drug

$2.2 Million
For sexual assault victim raped at the Chicago Bar Association building, the largest sexual assault verdict in Illinois at the time 

$2.0 Million
For a prisoner who lost his left eye as a result of deliberate indifference, the largest civil rights verdict for a prisoner at the time

$1.5 Million
For wrongful conviction and coerced confession of plaintiff when he was 14 years old, imprisoned for 15 years, overturned by DNA evidence

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